31. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Is Russia’s increased military spending a threat? A recently released report by International Institute for Strategic Studies has noted that Russia’s defense spending increased in 2012. Analyst Viktor Litovkin argues that Russia’s defense spending is nowhere close to the numbers put up by Western nations.
32. Moscow Times: U.S. Embassy Slams Door on Student Workers.
33. Moscow Times: Q&A: Pozner Is the Venerable Visage of Russia in the West.
34. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Pavel Koshkin, Soft Power: What can Russia learn from the U.S. experience? While Russia struggles to improve its image abroad, the U.S. model of “soft power” sets a good example to follow.
35. International Herald Tribune: Ariel Cohen, The Kremlin’s World.
36. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian analysts differ on the future of Syria. Russian experts disagree on whether or not a political solution in Syria is still possible.
37. ITAR-TASS: Russia plans to deploy no military bases in Afghanistan ­- deputy defence minister.
38. Interfax: Chechen separatist emissary: Saakashvili men trained Chechen militants to be sent to Russia.
39. The Economist: Ukraine’s future. Linguistically challenged. How Ukraine falls between political, economic and linguistic camps.